A WEEK TO BE THANKFUL

I hope we never have to repeat the pace of this week.  After a big JAS activity on Friday night making Sharpie Tye Dye, we drove to Los Cristianos the next morning to be there for our JAS Luis, who received his mission call to Barcelona.  Then we took sister Nydegger and Phillips to lunch, fearing someone might leave this transfer, and it happened.  Sister Phillips went back to Madrid on Monday.  We cried a lot.  On Saturday night one of our JAS was baptized. I take cake for everyone when one of our JAS is baptized because I think it is important to have a social after and celebrate the event.

Our JAS group at Jorge's baptism.

Elder Christensen and Elder Eskelson taught Jorge after he requested missionaries from the internet.  I need to find out more of his story.

On Sunday the Mendoza family from the South came to dinner.  (I am not sure when I found time to cook).  Valerie is leaving for Utah in a week.  We have been helping her with her English for 6 months (3 by Skype)  She is enrolled in a 9 month English course at BYU.  We love their family dearly. When they left we went to Santa Cruz for FHE.

Then on Monday morning 3 of our island missionaries were flying back to Madrid as per transfers and the Missionaries wanted to get together, so I made breakfast for all of them.  I was on busy overload and forgot to take pictures.  Then we went to the airport and later picked up Sister Christian, who will be serving in Los Cristianos with sister Nydegger, and drove the two hours down and back. 

Then I started on Thanksgiving dinner.  We ordered roasted chickens from the African Market and I made stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, a vegetable dish, fresh rolls, cranberry chutney, pumpkin pie, chocolate pie and a carrot apple cake with my Grandmother's vinegar dip (my favorite)  Mike brought us sunflowers from the African Market but my real sunflowers are sisters Judy and Money.

This is our new elder, Bohne with the food but not the deserts.

Ready to chow down.  The missionaries had to eat, visit a little, and head back to work. They don't get many holidays. We wanted the missionaries from the South to join us but couldn't get permission.  Then on Friday night we had a going away party for Alejandro, who is leaving for a mission to Mexico next week, but he was hung up in Madrid working on Visa problems and didn't arrive until 10:30 PM.  We played ping pong and games with the group but had to visit with him when he arrived, and so we didn't get home until after midnight.  Then the next morning we went to Institute at 9:00 AM.  I take a snack.  (Thank heaven for leftover carrot cake)  Today I spent most of the day napping and catching up on blogs.  Thank you dear Heavenly Father for the energy to do all I need and want to do and for the awesome people we get to be associated with here.  

And I didn't even mention 3 nights of English classes and District meeting.

 

Mike ordered this HLJ ring (Spanish CTR)  to present to Alejandro before leaving to Mexico.

JAS SHARPIE TIE DYE ART

In keeping with our decision to have an art or craft project once a month with the JAS it has kept me hopping to come up with ideas.  Those months roll around very quickly.  Thanks to Pinterest I have been able to find some fun things.  Last Friday we did Sharpie tie dye art.   I ordered some pens and had them sent to Leif before he came to visit .  They were just in time for this month's activity.  Basically you draw a design on fabric and then drop or spray alcohol and the colors run and spread in interesting ways.  It was lots of fun.

Click on the slide show for larger pictures.

LEIF AND STEPHANIE VISIT THE CANARIES

Last week our youngest son Leif and his girlfriend Stephanie visited for 5 days.  We had a great time showing them the island and playing some cards.  (Stephanie was the champ)  We went to Anaga, at the top of the ducks head, which we hadn't visited before and it was beautiful. Click on photos for a full screen slide show.

MONKEY PARK WITH MISSIONARIES

On p-day Monday 6 missionaries from Los Cristianos and 6 from Santa Cruz went to Monkey Park in Los Cristianos.  Mike and I never went when we lived there but it never would have been this fun with just the two of us.  The Lemurs roam free in a little area of the park and you can entice them to climb on your shoulder or lap.  One little Lemur was especially friendly.  Once we got it to climb on someone he would crawl from person to person if we got close together.  He didn't like to be petted as Elder Anderson can attest to since he got bit trying and a young Elder also.  In another area one of the  monkeys would hold your hand if you reached for his.  Everyone managed to get a turn and he never seemed to tire of reaching out.  The crocodiles and iguanas were cool and a very cute friendly turtle and many fat guinea pigs of various colors. (Because we all bought a bag of food that no one but the pigs would eat.   It was a lot of fun.  Being with the young missionaries is the best!

This big chimp managed the best trick I have ever seen, all on his own.  He was pushing the red plastic thing (it looked like a smashed gas can) around and around the cement floor of the large area where he was caged.  It made a horrible noise but he was having  a lot of fun doing it.  It kind of looked like his skate board.  We all stood there in a little group watching.  After a few minutes he stopped and went to a corner to get a drink.  Then he ambled around and when we were all standing there having a nice little chat he took a flying leap high upon the fence and sprayed the water from his mouth all over us.  Some of us got quite a lot.  I was surprised he had that much water that he was holding in his mouth because it was a couple of minutes from drink to the spit.  It was hilarious.  He then got his little toy and started pushing it again.  We were all quite impressed.  He managed to spray us again but we had moved away a little further the next time and he didn't have as much water in his mouth.  I think he sneaked a quick drink hoping to surprise us again.

When we arrived in Los Cristianos last February this beautiful Bougainvillaea, shaped like a Dinosaur or maybe a monkey, was growing across the top of the entrance to Monkey Park. (you can see how large it is as per the cars)  Sadly a large windstorm blew it down some months later.

Here is a link to the pictures on Picasa if you want to copy any of them

JAS AIRPLANES AND PING PONG

We had such a great turnout last week for our Halloween party (32 at one count) that I was very nervous for this week wondering if we would have a big group again and I would have enough food.  I cooked for 20 and that is how many ate.  I didn't want to depend on the "loaves and the fishes" too many times.  We have a ping pong table and thought it was time to get it out but only a small number can play at a time so we made paper airplanes besides.  They had a lot of fun.  Two of our young adults are getting baptized soon and the last two weeks we have had several investigators come with the missionaries.  We are pleased in that only 3 were attending when we arrived..."if you build it they will come."  

P-DAY PUERTO DE LA CRUZ

Last P-day the missionaries met at Puerto De La Cruz, which is about 20 minutes north of us.  It may be the most charming resort city on the island.  It was a short day with not much time to shop like we wanted, mostly we looked for each other  and had lunch, but for us it is always a joy to be with these young missionaries.  The Elders from the South had been to Loro Park and met us for lunch and a photo opp. As we were leaving our Chinese buffet we met a young LDS couple from Norway.  He had served a mission in Salt Lake and his wife was from Iran.  They were fun to talk to and very excited to meet some missionaries on their Canary vacation.

Puerto has many beautiful ocean fed pools.

The Sisters came in their harem pants and the Elders wore these Polynesian lava lavas? provided by Elder Lopez's (first elder on the left) mother

Sister's Judy, Phillips, Nydegger and Money, totally awesome missionaries

JAS HALLOWEEN FACE PAINTING PARTY

Last night we had a young adult Halloween Party.  A women, who attends our English class, has been a professional make up artist.  She volunteered to bring her makeup and paint faces.  She was amazing!  I couldn't believe how fast she was, and so creative.  Everyone had a riot goofing around and taking photos.  We usually get about 10-12 out, but at one point of the night we had 32 people there, including missionaries, who are allowed to come if they bring an investigator.  We counted more investigators than members.  I was glad we ordered Pizza because I never would have cooked enough for that many.  I did make sugar cookies to frost and decorate.